Oil lamps have been used for lighting since ancient times in China and have always been a combination of utilitarianism and art.  They make nights shorter, and days longer. Through thousands of years, oil lamps have acquired rich cultural connotations.

 Oil lamps in different dynasties

Oil lamps can be traced back to the discovery of fire and people's desire for light. According to archaeologists, oil lamps in China emerged no later than the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-221BC), while historical records, say the lamps first appeared even earlier, in the era of Huangdi, a legendary god in the mythology of ancient China.

The earliest oil lamps resemble the shape of pottery dou , ancient food containers, a shallow tray supported by a stand. The Dou Lamp established the foundation for the development of Chinese oil lamps, despite its plain appearance.

Dou Lamp, pottery, Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).
 Dou Lamps in the Warring States period (ended 221 BC) were usually made from copper.